Ancient Hoards of Estonia. часть 4
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Ancient Hoards of Estonia. часть 4
Собственно продолжение ) ....
PAIMRE
The hoard was discovered in the village of Paimre (nowadays Paimvere), in the neibourhood of the Soontaga hillfort near the border between ancient Läänemaa and Sakala, during cultivation in spring 1940 consists of 1 Arabian, 135 German, 14 English and 3 Danish coins, one silver bar, four bracelets and three pendants. Deciding by the coins the hoard must have been deposited at the end of the 22th century. The ornaments included in the hoard are mainly
of Livonian origin and were used from the 2nd half of the 11th century until the beginning of the 12th century.
The four open bracelets made from silver sheet, similar by size and design, reflect the fashion and customs of the Baltic countries oof that time: several indetical bracelets were worn on each arm. A set of ornaments could sometimes contain even dozens of such bracelets. The narrow and strongly concavo-convex specimens from the Paimre hoard represent a type which was especially characteristic to Livs of the Gauja and the Duna regions in the 11th - 13th centuries.
The cross-shaped pendant with widening ends is not necessarily a symbol of Christisnization. A cross was also a heathen amulet believed to poccess a protective-magical power. In those times cross pendants were quite frequently worn in a same neclace with various other ornaments - other pendants, beads and tinklers. It is possible that the two small sheet pendants of the Paimre hoard, one of which is decorated with a pattern of quadriloop, belonged to the same necklace with the cross pendant. Cross pendants of this type, cast, with widening ends and decorated only on one side are found more frequently from the Liv´s territories than anywhere else.
The peg-shaped silver bar weighing 74,4 g isi of the purest silver of that time (91,4%) and thus must have been a considerable treasure. The hacks on its surface may result from a check on silver quality in the course of a deal.
Tõnisson, E. 1962, No 120; Molvõgin, A. 1994, No 68; Leimus, I and Molvõgin, A. 2001,
No 59; Tamla, Ü. 2005; Leimus, I. 2007, No 64.
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OLUSTVERE
In 1978 several hoards were discovered, buried or left in prehistoric cultural layer on a construction site at the rear of the old park of the estate. The first hoard, deposited in a box made from birch bark, contained a lot of silver coins, more than 700 of which also reached a museum collection. The rarest coins of these were a mimigardeford denar from Münster and an Anund Jakob´s (1022 - 1050) coin from Sweden. Deciding by the coins the I hoard of Olustvere was left in the ground in the last quarter of the 11th century (tpq 1080).
Besides coins the hoard also contained several items of foreign jewellery, manufactured on a high artistic level typical to the end of the Viking Age. the most remakable of these were a gilded silver pendant shaped as a human face, and an unique clasp-like gilded object with a relief ornament, probably a decorative clasp of a book or a small box. Analogous face-shaped pendants (also called mask pendants) have been found in Estonia also from the Viking Age hoards of Parivere and Kose. As they are all so similar in shape and make, it seems likely that they may be manufactured by the same top-skilled jeweller or at least in the same workshop.
It must be mentioned that mask pendants of a similar type, although slightly more rounded, were also included in the hoards of Falhagen, Gotland (12 items) and Moscow Kremlin (10 items).
Molvõgin, A. 1994, No.54; Molvõgin, A and Sokolovski, V. 1979; Leimus, I and Molvõgin, A. 2001, No 45; Leimus, I 2004; 2007, No 57
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SAVASTVERE
One of the largest hoards of the middle of the 2nd half of the 12th century was discovered in the village of Savastvere in Northen Tartumaa, about 7 km west of Lake Peipsi. In summer 1935 the owner of the Vahtra farm found various ornaments in his field, the total amounted to 145 artefacts and their fragments. The most remarkable of these is a large brovze chain arrangement, 7 loop-ended neck-rings twisted from three wires, 13 bracelets, 1 penannular brooch, 6 decorative pins with cross-shaped heads, about 20 different pendants, 13 finger-rings, dozens of spirals, tinklers, etc. A smallish silver sheet pendant, 6 coins, 3 coin imitations (probably made by the Livs Daugmale), small bone spades and some fragments of bone artefacts, and some fragments of woollen cloth were also included in the find. Most of the objects were found together in the same place; only the chain arrangement and some bracelets had been carried further by the plough. Archaeological excavations performed on the site of discovery of the Savastvere hoard did not confirm the provisional supposition that the artefacts belonged to a burial in a flat grave. Thus it must be a treasure, deliberately buried or for some reason left in its hiding-place, dating from the end of the Prehistoric Period.
The chain arrangement of Savastvere is the most gorgeous of the kind, discovered in Estonia. The ornaments with a total weight of nearly 1,7 kg consists of four chains with spacers; the total length of the chains is 12,2 m. The chain, decorating both the breast and the back of the wearer. was attatced to the costume by lunula-shaped chain-holders and cross-headed decorative pins; the massive spacers and two openwork spacers hung on the back. It is likely that in the holes in the lowre edge of the larger middle plate some more pendants or tinklers were hung.
The showiest of the bronze pendants are the five large comb-shaped ones, the upper part of which depicts two horses facing each other. Prresumably pendants of such design were also amulets, since horse was widely spread symbol of fertility among Finno-Ugric peoples. Combo also possessed a magic meaning in the past, mainly related to vitality.
The four bone of the Savastvere hoard are not very carefully finished and thus their use as decorations seems unlikely. Rather, they were commodities, used for example to take and spread ointment or, perhaps, honey from a receptacle.
Al 3355.
Kiudsoo, M. 2008a.
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TAMSE
The silver hoard found from the village of Tamse on the northern coast of the Muhu Island in autumn 1967 is the largest hoard of the end of the 12th - 1st quarter of the 13th century found in Estonia by the number of coins. It contained at least 400 coins, gilded decorative plaque and a temple ornament. The coins included 343 Swedish pennies ( 341 of them from Visby), 92 German and and 5 English coins. Except for one denar from Cologne (1027 - 1036), one English penny ( 1158 - 1161) and four German coins fron the 2nd half of the 12th century, all other coins were minted during the period 1167 - 1205.
The hoard hidden in a birch bark receptacle probably inside a dwelling remained in the ground evidently in 1206, in connectoin with the Dane`s foray to Saaremaa. On the basics of the composition of the hoard we may assume that a part of the coins could have been obtained as a result of a trade trip from Muhu to Gotland. It is possible that the foreign-looking oriental items of jewellery, probably manufactured by the distant craftsmen of Volga Bolgars, were also acquired as a result of the same deal in an international trade harbour of Visby.
Al 4457.
Molvõgin, A. 1970.
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MUHU
A large hoard was found from the rampart of the Muhu hillfort in 1894 or 1895, when stones and soil were quarried there for the building of the embankment across the Strait of Väike väin. Since coins and artrefacts were then found in two places, it has been presumed that there were two hoards,. A part of the silver from the Muhu hillfort was taken to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg in 1895, the rest is stored in the Institute of History.
In the 2nd half of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century substantial changes took place in the Livonian coin circulation. Foreign coins from wide territories were replaced by coins minted in a considerably smaller region, mostly in Westphalia and Gotland, which suggest direct connections with certain districts. Numismatic soucres indicate the arrival of numerous merchants from Westphalia, especially from Münster but also from Cologne, to Livonia in about 1190. We must also mention, that many of the German crusaders came to Livonia from Westphalia. The relations with Gotland are confirmed by written soucres as well as continuous circulation of the coins of Visby in Livonia, especially in Estonia. The hoard from the Muhu hillfort is also a find typical to this period.
Besides coins the Muhu hoard also contained silver and bronze ornaments ( 9 silver bracelets, 2 neck-rings, 8 sheet pendants, 2 penannular brooches, 6 rings, 3 beads, a bronze bracelet, brooch, 2 rings and a decorative plaque), 687 glass beads and various commodities, including small scales for weighing silver. The ornaments were apparently all made by local craftsmen and they reflect the fashion of ornaments and their wearing of that period. For example, this hoard contained several ornaments of similar design and make ( bracelets, sheet pendants), all in couples.
Although on the basics of the coins in the hoard, the Muhu hoard should have been deposited in the 1st decade of the 13th century (tpq 1208/1209), it cannot be precluded that the date and reason of the deposition of this hoard were related to the siege and conquest of the Muhu hillfort in February 1227, an event that has been described in detail in Heinrik`s Livonian Chronicle.
AIK 30; Erm A 984.
OAK; Tõnisson, E. 1962, nr.130; Kustin, A. 1959; Tamla, Ü., Kallavus, U. and Säre, M. 2004
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LÕHAVERE HOARD
Two remakable hidden treasures were discovered in Lõhavere, the most famous prehistoric hillfort in Estonia. The both came to light duroing archaeological excavations in 1958, when the western part of the enclosure - the area of the densest settlement - was investigated. A small silver hoard (No. 22) and a larger jewel box (No.23) were located in the ground close to each other, inside a larger building, destroyed by fire, just by the main gate.
The small silver hoard consisted of two peg-shaped silver bars, a sheet pendant, 7 coins ( 5 of them pendants), bronze and glass beads. Most likely the ornaments in the hoard, the showiest of which was the large silver sheet pendant, belonged to the same necklace. The decoratoin of the ornament - five punched knobs in the middle and triangles with dots along the edge - are patterns with magic meaning or magic signs intended to protect the wearer fron evil. Together with light blue and white glass beads and silver- coloured beads cast from lead bronze five coin pendants, minted in Germany, in Soest and Cologne in 1990 -1991, were included in the necklace. These and the bracteate of Sigtuna and a pfenning of Münster constitute a temporally compact group and were probably obtained together in a deal sometime in the 1190ies. Deciding by the state of preservation the coins must have been made into pendants quite soon after aquisition, which would explain their heavy wear.
The total weight of the two small silver bars was only 30 g, but they were of the purest silver of that time ( 95%).
AI 4133.
Tõnisson, E. 1962, No. 1005; Tamla, Ü., Kallavus, U. and Leimus, I. 2002
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nbsp; THE HANDICRAFT BOX OF LÕHAVERE
The large bast box contained a lot of handicraft materials including yarn, plaited ribbons, decorations woven fron bronze spirals and yarn. linen. pieces of brocade, but also wooden tablets and a band knife for weaving belts. The box also contained lots of bronze spirals and ornaments, some silver rings and a pendant, a coin, bronze scales and three smaller boxes of birch bark. It is most probable that the small hoard and the handicraft box were concealed in the second decade of the 13th century, i.e. during the period when the Germans repeatedly besieged the Lõhavere hillfort. It cannot be precluded either that the small hoard and the box were not specially hidden: they may have been in their usual place of concealment and after the fire remained beneath the ruins. This find is probably a handicraft box of a wealthy woman where the owner in a moment of danger had also thrust her ornaments.
AI 4133.
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